Breaking down silos to achieve a more enabled workforce and more informed stakeholders.
Tim Taylor is an industry solution executive at Ventyx, an ABB company.
Electric distribution operations are changing rapidly as the application of operations technology (OT)—particularly two-way communications, intelligent devices, and SCADA—is changing the way distribution systems are monitored and controlled. In the same way, evolving information technology (IT) continues to affect distribution operations, with seemingly endless advances in mobile technologies, analytics, systems integration, and computing platforms.
Historically, OT and IT for distribution operations were developed, maintained, and used by different silos in the organization. However, the concept of IT-OT convergence isn’t new, as Gartner defined the concept in the mid-2000s. Practical examples exist at many distribution organizations, but only a fraction of the potential benefits in the industry have been realized. While technical and organizational challenges exist for those looking to cross IT-OT boundaries, there are compelling business reasons and strong technology drivers for increased IT-OT convergence in distribution operations.